Thank you. Amazing reporting. Factual, and adding reality to Trump’s tendency to boast. But still chilling as to the actual events happening: withholding money unless you do as I say and say what I think you should say. Isn’t this simply extortion?
Well, this is more complicated than you are making it. Yes, I don't like Trump making private firms do what he wants. However, when what he wants is an end to discrimination based on race or identity (which has overtaken every branch of federal government and certainly most law firms), it complicates things. People should be hired on merit. Still, I am uncomfortable with him influencing hiring practices even if this firm was way out of line. Which it WAS. I guess Trump won't be able to control private industry and they will continue to discriminate as I guess is their right. He asked them to take cases from all walks of life--which of course they should--not just left wing causes. However, I don't think the government can dictate that, even if it's the right thing to do.
Now, about Columbia. These universities are guilty of the same brainwashing DEI practices and they are publicly funded. Biden made them put in programs that agreed with HIS agenda, DEI specifically. So Trump is removing it as he should. America should be merit-based. These identity politics will do nothing but drive our society apart. And they need to end.
And freedom of speech gets fuzzy as well when foreigners come here and threaten American students or hold up the university with demands to do certain things or they will continue to break our laws? That person gets deported in my opinion, but that can get out of hand as well.
It is complicated, because they say DEI should be scrapped in favor of merit. Sounds good, but that's not what he is doing. Trump fired General Charles Brown as head of Joint Chief of Staff. He is incredibly qualified and his resume is extensive and includes: commanded a fighter squadron, the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, two fighter wings, and twice served as a Combined/Joint Air Component Commander with command tours at U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Pacific Air Forces. He was replaced by a much less qualified White man. So qualifications don't count, only race. Hardly an improvement over DEI.
No, he is firing people who practiced DEI instead of merit. That is a tortuous argument you m ake. He probably followed Biden's orders, but it's not uncommon for presidents to put their own people in. Right? And Biden fired all Trump's people. He has a right to do that in the government. I am only uncomfortable with him coercing private companies even if he's right. Which he is.
Also, these Hamas protestors are a complicated thing, too. They do not have free speech rights to come over here and threaten American students while promoting a terrorist instead of peace --not taking a side. Gets dicey there, too, if carried too far. Anyone breaking our laws or university rules (and negotiating for that practice) is gone. But even though I'm not comfortable with foreigners supporting terrorists, as long as they follow laws and rules, I'd have to allow it. Maybe. We have to allow it from citizens. Gets a bit weirder with foreigners, green card or not.
I have always interpreted Trump’s tactics the other way around. If he’s using improper methods, it hardly matters whether he’s operating on the correct principles or on justified suspicions of wrongdoing. The whole purpose of the rule of law is that we don’t impose adverse sanctions without going through the whole process to determine whether they are warranted. Moving to sanctions without a full fact finding is exactly what a tyrant does.
Fine. Biden was using improper methods--vaccine mandates, closing down businesses, hiring DEI people which is unconstitutional; he's reversing that. That's life. Also, these lawyers, ha. I'm sure they were happy to sell their souls to Biden and do his bidding for government work; they are just as happy to do it for Trump to keep them. They could sue him, I think, but they know the money is better to just do it. And lawyers are scum bags, most of them.
Biden was more of a "tyrant" than Trump is. He just wants equal treatment; Biden wanted to remove anyone who disagreed with him and silence them. Trump isn't doing that.
Now we have to watch him. And he knows we will. Pretty sure Rubio and JD Vance will rein him in if he gets too out there.
There was nothing improper about the public health measures, or about any DEI initiative that the administration might have undertaken. If they were all unconstitutional, why was there never a lawsuit over that? And in the sixty-plus cases where Trump alleged that every decision to count more votes against him than for him was illegal, why were they mostly dismissed for lack of foundation, and could only be decided where the results wouldn’t change the outcome?
At the end of his first term, his ultimate attempt to obtain his preferred outcome through wrongful methods was the January 6 coup attempt. His supporters claim that he didn’t directly advocate for violence, but utterly fail to specify how else the demonstration possibly could have succeeded. The affair also showed vividly just how little Trump regarded law, order, and civility where his personal power was at stake. If he ever opposed illegal actions that inured to his private benefit, you would never know it from January 6.
There were lawsuits over it from individuals as it should be. And they are winning. And the supreme court stopped Biden from vaccine mandates on private companies. That was a legal challenge. He also ILLEGALLY let millions of people into this country and Trump has to remove them and of course HE is the bad guy. Get real. Biden also improperly cancelled student debt. So get real. And Trump did NOT do a "coup attempt." He told people to peacefully protest what is definitely horrible election practices. I live in Antrim co. where votes were switched to the tune of 6,000 swing in Biden's favor. All "human error." Let me tell you if that can happen by "error" it can happen "on purpose." Just one example of horrible election problems and opportunity for fraud (read Warren's and Klobuchek's sp. letter to congress that they were worried about these machines). Bigger problems with this mail in voting that Jimmy Carter and everyone said would cause fraud.
I think Trump underestimated the nature of what might happen that day. But no way was it an insurrection. They had no GUNS. NONE in all those people. He told them to protest PEACEFULLY. The only gun charges came from people who were there who had gun issues, NOT THAT DAY. And the only person killed that day was Ashley Babbitt by some idiot policeman for no good reason. Imagine if she'd been George Floyd.
So at least think critically here. You don't like Trump and you are a leftist. You want big government and most of us don't. That's fine. But you are not even thinking remotely critically here.
The judge ruled against Biden on vaccine mandates. So they were removed. You didn't hear about it because Biden followed the law and removed the mandates.
But, if the policy of DEI was in place, why would the Head of the joint Chiefs of Staff not apply it? He, himself, was put in place because he was extremely qualified. Trump said he was a DEI hire so he fired him. The man who replaced him is a much less qualified white guy.
Much like Fox News and others, he's falsely conflating DEI measures with affirmative action. DEI in its truest sense is meant to ensure merit regardless of gender or race. As opposed to the preference for white males that went on through Jim Crow and beyond. And to which many on the right would like to return.
In an ideal world one would hire based on merit and representation would be assured because there would be qualified candidates, gender or color varied, from which to choose. Bias still exists and it prevents that from being the case in many instances.
Oh please you have no idea if they are unqualified. They are going a different direction, changing the old guard general power deal--way too much military industrial complex worry from the past. Eisenhauer warned about it. 60's protesting kids would be all for it. And you know nothing about who he has chosen, either.
He didn’t do it. Mike waltz did. If that’s your criteria neither Hillary Clinton or joe Biden were fit for their jobs. But we already knew that. Technology has made everything less safe.
Hmm. Think SecDef Pete just made my point for me. As did everyone else on that Signal Chat that you want to blame instead. They are not qualified for these jobs. Period. And we are in danger because of it.
What in the world is going on here? We've listened to endless whining by Republicans about government overreach. If this isn't a loud and clear example, then there is no such thing.
Yes, I seem to remember a great deal of concern about the pressure the Biden administration put on Mark Zuckerberg for controlling the content on his platform (even though Zuck, by his own admission, stated that he could have just refused). If wielding government influence like a cudgel is wrong, then it's wrong... right?
Gabe, I followed the link regarding the Washington Post's change in editorial policy and am surprised Bozo's feels that the internet will bring diverse viewpoints to the people and therefor he doesn't need to do so anymore. My surprise stems from the algorithms selecting content and fostering silos of awareness. I believe all media reporting and editorializing should be more like your version!
"It was funny: An avowed Trump voter who’d been vocal in my class about his support was now worried about what Trump might do to our system — now that he’d been elected and had the ACTUAL POWER." More at TGM: https://tinyurl.com/mvmpevwf
Gabe, Thank you for the reporting I cannot get elsewhere. Can you please explain why DeJoy quit? I have seen no reporting on that. Is it a good thing that he quit?
Perhaps the governor of Maine could call Musk, concerning DOGE, and tell him, unless he can find a cause, spending time and money on a useless crusade is just the opposite of what DOGE is supposed to do.
Utterly horrifying.
Thank you. Amazing reporting. Factual, and adding reality to Trump’s tendency to boast. But still chilling as to the actual events happening: withholding money unless you do as I say and say what I think you should say. Isn’t this simply extortion?
Yes it is. He's become the Don Corleone of our lives!
Hope we'll get a detailed follow up on the Maine issue and that more so-called elite institutions stand their ground.
Well, this is more complicated than you are making it. Yes, I don't like Trump making private firms do what he wants. However, when what he wants is an end to discrimination based on race or identity (which has overtaken every branch of federal government and certainly most law firms), it complicates things. People should be hired on merit. Still, I am uncomfortable with him influencing hiring practices even if this firm was way out of line. Which it WAS. I guess Trump won't be able to control private industry and they will continue to discriminate as I guess is their right. He asked them to take cases from all walks of life--which of course they should--not just left wing causes. However, I don't think the government can dictate that, even if it's the right thing to do.
Now, about Columbia. These universities are guilty of the same brainwashing DEI practices and they are publicly funded. Biden made them put in programs that agreed with HIS agenda, DEI specifically. So Trump is removing it as he should. America should be merit-based. These identity politics will do nothing but drive our society apart. And they need to end.
And freedom of speech gets fuzzy as well when foreigners come here and threaten American students or hold up the university with demands to do certain things or they will continue to break our laws? That person gets deported in my opinion, but that can get out of hand as well.
All complicated stuff here.
It is complicated, because they say DEI should be scrapped in favor of merit. Sounds good, but that's not what he is doing. Trump fired General Charles Brown as head of Joint Chief of Staff. He is incredibly qualified and his resume is extensive and includes: commanded a fighter squadron, the U.S. Air Force Weapons School, two fighter wings, and twice served as a Combined/Joint Air Component Commander with command tours at U.S. Air Forces Central Command and Pacific Air Forces. He was replaced by a much less qualified White man. So qualifications don't count, only race. Hardly an improvement over DEI.
No, he is firing people who practiced DEI instead of merit. That is a tortuous argument you m ake. He probably followed Biden's orders, but it's not uncommon for presidents to put their own people in. Right? And Biden fired all Trump's people. He has a right to do that in the government. I am only uncomfortable with him coercing private companies even if he's right. Which he is.
Also, these Hamas protestors are a complicated thing, too. They do not have free speech rights to come over here and threaten American students while promoting a terrorist instead of peace --not taking a side. Gets dicey there, too, if carried too far. Anyone breaking our laws or university rules (and negotiating for that practice) is gone. But even though I'm not comfortable with foreigners supporting terrorists, as long as they follow laws and rules, I'd have to allow it. Maybe. We have to allow it from citizens. Gets a bit weirder with foreigners, green card or not.
I have always interpreted Trump’s tactics the other way around. If he’s using improper methods, it hardly matters whether he’s operating on the correct principles or on justified suspicions of wrongdoing. The whole purpose of the rule of law is that we don’t impose adverse sanctions without going through the whole process to determine whether they are warranted. Moving to sanctions without a full fact finding is exactly what a tyrant does.
Fine. Biden was using improper methods--vaccine mandates, closing down businesses, hiring DEI people which is unconstitutional; he's reversing that. That's life. Also, these lawyers, ha. I'm sure they were happy to sell their souls to Biden and do his bidding for government work; they are just as happy to do it for Trump to keep them. They could sue him, I think, but they know the money is better to just do it. And lawyers are scum bags, most of them.
Biden was more of a "tyrant" than Trump is. He just wants equal treatment; Biden wanted to remove anyone who disagreed with him and silence them. Trump isn't doing that.
Now we have to watch him. And he knows we will. Pretty sure Rubio and JD Vance will rein him in if he gets too out there.
There was nothing improper about the public health measures, or about any DEI initiative that the administration might have undertaken. If they were all unconstitutional, why was there never a lawsuit over that? And in the sixty-plus cases where Trump alleged that every decision to count more votes against him than for him was illegal, why were they mostly dismissed for lack of foundation, and could only be decided where the results wouldn’t change the outcome?
At the end of his first term, his ultimate attempt to obtain his preferred outcome through wrongful methods was the January 6 coup attempt. His supporters claim that he didn’t directly advocate for violence, but utterly fail to specify how else the demonstration possibly could have succeeded. The affair also showed vividly just how little Trump regarded law, order, and civility where his personal power was at stake. If he ever opposed illegal actions that inured to his private benefit, you would never know it from January 6.
It has also come to light that Trump paid for transportation and lodging for several Jan 6th rioters.
There were lawsuits over it from individuals as it should be. And they are winning. And the supreme court stopped Biden from vaccine mandates on private companies. That was a legal challenge. He also ILLEGALLY let millions of people into this country and Trump has to remove them and of course HE is the bad guy. Get real. Biden also improperly cancelled student debt. So get real. And Trump did NOT do a "coup attempt." He told people to peacefully protest what is definitely horrible election practices. I live in Antrim co. where votes were switched to the tune of 6,000 swing in Biden's favor. All "human error." Let me tell you if that can happen by "error" it can happen "on purpose." Just one example of horrible election problems and opportunity for fraud (read Warren's and Klobuchek's sp. letter to congress that they were worried about these machines). Bigger problems with this mail in voting that Jimmy Carter and everyone said would cause fraud.
I think Trump underestimated the nature of what might happen that day. But no way was it an insurrection. They had no GUNS. NONE in all those people. He told them to protest PEACEFULLY. The only gun charges came from people who were there who had gun issues, NOT THAT DAY. And the only person killed that day was Ashley Babbitt by some idiot policeman for no good reason. Imagine if she'd been George Floyd.
So at least think critically here. You don't like Trump and you are a leftist. You want big government and most of us don't. That's fine. But you are not even thinking remotely critically here.
The judge ruled against Biden on vaccine mandates. So they were removed. You didn't hear about it because Biden followed the law and removed the mandates.
I agree.
But, if the policy of DEI was in place, why would the Head of the joint Chiefs of Staff not apply it? He, himself, was put in place because he was extremely qualified. Trump said he was a DEI hire so he fired him. The man who replaced him is a much less qualified white guy.
And he fired the woman who headed the Navy and replaced her with a man!
You’re implying that DEI and merit are exclusive. They are not.
Much like Fox News and others, he's falsely conflating DEI measures with affirmative action. DEI in its truest sense is meant to ensure merit regardless of gender or race. As opposed to the preference for white males that went on through Jim Crow and beyond. And to which many on the right would like to return.
Don't be silly. If you do colorblind merit you do not need DEI. At all.
Unless you hire unqualified people like Pete Hegseth just because they look nice on tv and spout your own discriminatory rhetoric.
You are spot on
In an ideal world one would hire based on merit and representation would be assured because there would be qualified candidates, gender or color varied, from which to choose. Bias still exists and it prevents that from being the case in many instances.
Oh please you have no idea if they are unqualified. They are going a different direction, changing the old guard general power deal--way too much military industrial complex worry from the past. Eisenhauer warned about it. 60's protesting kids would be all for it. And you know nothing about who he has chosen, either.
Do you still think Hegseth is qualified after he released highly classified war plans on a social media app to a journalist..?
He didn’t do it. Mike waltz did. If that’s your criteria neither Hillary Clinton or joe Biden were fit for their jobs. But we already knew that. Technology has made everything less safe.
Hmm. Think SecDef Pete just made my point for me. As did everyone else on that Signal Chat that you want to blame instead. They are not qualified for these jobs. Period. And we are in danger because of it.
lol. Yeah I’d worry constantly. I’m sure you were when creepy joe had the red button. Don’t talk about fitness for jobs. It’s just too hilarious.
I disagree with every thing you've said. You must have blinders on.
We voted for this.
Not everyone voted for it.
Indeed, 77 Million voters voted AGAINST this nonsense!
I, for one, could not be happier with the results. Promises made, promises kept. GOAT President!
Only brainwashed MAGA cultists are happy with this. Sane people are not happy with the direction this country's headed in.
We get the government we deserve, as we did vote for it.
What in the world is going on here? We've listened to endless whining by Republicans about government overreach. If this isn't a loud and clear example, then there is no such thing.
Yes, I seem to remember a great deal of concern about the pressure the Biden administration put on Mark Zuckerberg for controlling the content on his platform (even though Zuck, by his own admission, stated that he could have just refused). If wielding government influence like a cudgel is wrong, then it's wrong... right?
Gabe, I followed the link regarding the Washington Post's change in editorial policy and am surprised Bozo's feels that the internet will bring diverse viewpoints to the people and therefor he doesn't need to do so anymore. My surprise stems from the algorithms selecting content and fostering silos of awareness. I believe all media reporting and editorializing should be more like your version!
What happened to Navalny's lawyer? At what point will Trump appoint his horse to the Senate? When is a bribe not a bribe?
I am frightened.
Where's the accountability here? INAL, but is there no case for bribery or unlawful withholding of funds that can be brought?
Fuck you, Asshat Trump! wHY this groveling to a lunatic???
"It was funny: An avowed Trump voter who’d been vocal in my class about his support was now worried about what Trump might do to our system — now that he’d been elected and had the ACTUAL POWER." More at TGM: https://tinyurl.com/mvmpevwf
Gabe, Thank you for the reporting I cannot get elsewhere. Can you please explain why DeJoy quit? I have seen no reporting on that. Is it a good thing that he quit?
A great leap forward into a new future in Amerika!
Perhaps the governor of Maine could call Musk, concerning DOGE, and tell him, unless he can find a cause, spending time and money on a useless crusade is just the opposite of what DOGE is supposed to do.
It will never stop